HealthyEats

Make Your Own Margaritas

Some celebrations call for magaritas, but lots of alcohol, sugary add-ins, and a super-sized glass and you’ve got a 600+ calorie cocktail. Take part in the fiesta with our recipes -- all under 275 calories.

Margaritas are perfect for celebrations (like this Wednesday's Cinco de Mayo), but pour lots of alcohol and sugary add-ins into a super-sized glass and you've got yourself a 600+ calorie cocktail! Skip the too-sweet drink mixes and opt for our fruity versions, all under 275 calories.

Classic Cocktail

A basic margarita recipe calls for hefty doses of tequila and citrus liqueur along with lime juice and some sweetness from simple syrup, sour mix or other bottled mixes. Those sugary mixes are the worst offenders, adding 7 teaspoons of sugar per serving! Get sweetness from fresh fruit juice instead – you’ll get some extra vitamin C that way too. You also want to cut back on the booze. All that alcohol will cost you 100 calories per ounce on average -- and it adds up fast.

The first step is downsizing from the gigantic glass to keep calories reasonable. What about the classic salted rim? Well, a sprinkle of salt is fine, but, again, don't choose a margarita glass with a 12-inch diameter! Use a smaller glass to cut the salt, or pass on the extra salt of you have high blood pressure.

Light and Fresh

For our Citrus Burst Margaritas (recipe below) we cut back on the alcohol and boosted the flavor with freshly squeezed citrus. We used a combination of 1/4 cup lime juice and 3/4 cup freshly squeezed OJ -- lemon, tangerine, blood orange or grapefruit juice would also be delicious. Finally, we topped things off with a refreshing touch of fizz.

A few more tips:

• Serve your cocktails in 8-ounce rocks glasses

• Garnish with fresh fruit

• Splurge on top shelf tequila – treat yourself to one good drink instead of a few cheap ones

Citrus Burst Margaritas

Serves: 4 (1 6-ounce glass each)

1 cup silver tequila

1/2 cup Triple Sec

1 cup freshly squeezed citrus juice

1/2 cup sparkling water

Sliced citrus for garnish

Kosher salt for glass (optional)

Combine ingredients in a pitcher and stir to combine. To serve, shake individual portions with ice in a cocktail shaker and pour over ice in a salt-rimmed glass, if desired. For frozen cocktails, blend ingredients in a blender with crushed ice.

Granola is the classic healthy food, right? Not exactly. Many packaged granola mixes are drowning in sugar, fat and calories, but don't worry -- there are ways to work it into a healthy diet, especially when you make your own.

Not sure what to do with those extra cukes sitting around? My grandma used to make batches of homemade pickles—we’d have jars lining the fridge shelves. Dill, spicy, sweet or sour---oh, the possibilities!

The ingredient lists for most packaged condiments are just plain scary! The added sugar, salt and other unpronounceable preservatives make these basic dips and spreads practically junk food. With some simple ingredients and easy prep work, you can make your own. We’re starting out with three of the most popular condiments: ketchup, mustard and tartar sauce.

Many store-bought jams, jellies and preserves contain more sugar than fruit. While you do need some sugar, it’s really the fruit you want to taste! Simple ingredients and a little bit of simmering and you’ll have the best tasting fruit spread imaginable.